Dead Woman Walking
by bella78
Summary: Sherry's been kidnapped. Will Leon find her? Leon/Claire


Resident Evil Fan Fiction  
  
**"Dead Woman Walking"**  
  
by Bella  
  
  
  
  
Claire was so tired. After everything she had gone through - first in Raccoon City, then in Paris, Rockfort Island and Antarctis - all she needed was a big sleep. Now that she had finally reunited with her brother Chris, things seemed to be fine. For now. She knew well that Umbrella was still out there, killing more and more people every day. But she had granted herself one day off... just one, luxurious day - to visit Sherry. She had made a promise to her and she'd rather die than let her down. Die - Claire shivered when she remembered all the horrors she had encountered. But somehow she had survived. Something had kept her alive.  
  
When Claire saw Leon her tired eyes began to shine in a new way. This was unnoticed by Leon as he turned away from Claire with a fear in his soul for he could not face her. This was the day he had feared. Something in Leon's appearance made Claire ask "What's wrong?" Leon could barely rise his head to see Claire. "It's Sherry." The words barely left Leon's mouth. "What? Where is she?" Claire asked. "Sherry!" Shouting her name Claire searched the rooms but couldn't find her. "Where is she?" Claire confronted Leon. "They got her", Leon whispered. Stunned, refusing to believe Claire stared at Leon. "What do you mean they got her?" she asked slowly. "You were supposed to take care of her! I trusted her in your hands!!" "I know", Leon said helplessly. "I blew it." He was about to cry.   
  
Then something in Leon's appearance changed. Finally he dared to look at Claire. "I'm gonna find her, so don't you worry. I'll find her and bring her back to you. I'm leaving tomorrow." "I'm leaving with you", Claire said without any hesitation. "No." Leon was firm. "I'm taking care if this on my own. I'm the one who messed up." "I can't let you go alone." "Why not?" "Because everything has changed." "What has changed? Don't you trust me anymore? Don't you think I can find her on my own?" "I don't doubt that, I do trust you. I just don't think I can make it on my own anymore." Leon looked at Claire. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" For the first time there was concern in Leon's eyes. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. It's just that... I have a confession to make." "Confession?" Leon was confused. "I love you, Leon. For all this time you have been on my mind. Many times when all seemed hopeless the thought of seeing you again made me rise back on my feet. Thanks to you I'm alive." When Claire kissed Leon, he didn't resist.   
  
But...  
  
Later that night Leon looked at sleeping Claire beside him and couldn't help hating himself. It had been a weak moment, and he knew he shouldn't have done it.  
  
He didn't love Claire. He would have lied if he had said that she had been in his heart during the time they had been apart. Of course he had been worrying about her survival... but some other woman was still living in his heart, someone he couldn't forget. Ada.  
  
Leon knew just how stupid it was, for he was loving a dead woman. But something just made her impossible to forget. And, every now and then, Leon allowed himself a brink of hope - maybe she was still alive? On the dark days that beam of light was everything he needed.  
  
Leon was startled when Claire put her arms around him. "What were you thinking?" she asked with a sleepy tune in her voice.   
  
Leon knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't lie to Claire. He turned around and said. "I don't love you, Claire. There's another woman in my mind." "And you slept with me?" "I shouldn't have done it, it was a mistake. Besides, we can't let personal involments get on our way, we have a job to do." It was an excuse, and they both knew it. For a moment it looked like Claire was about to break down, but she didn't. Quietly Leon watched as Claire put her clothes on and left the room. For a long time after she had left he stared at the closed door.  
  
In the other room Claire was weeping and shivering helplessly.   
  
*  
  
When Claire opened her eyes in the morning, she saw Leon at her bedside. "I... I have realized something", Leon confessed. "Can you ever forgive me?" His voice broke down. As they hugged, Leon said: "I have been living in the past. It's time for me to let go and get on with my life." "Are you sure?" "Yes. She was just a dream. A dream that died ages ago..."  
  
*  
  
As Leon left next morning, his heart was bleeding but he didn't really have a choice. He couldn't take Claire with him, for he couldn't risk losing her too. She had to be safe and sound, otherwise he couldn't go on with his mission. On the day before Claire had insisted of coming with him, but he had refused - especially now that they were romantically involved. But she had said she couldn't let him go - a deuce that was. It was terrible enough that his departure had been postponed for a day... He had decided to sneak out next morning while Claire'd be asleep. And here he was, all geared up and ready to go. He could have spent forever watching sleeping Claire - 'I wonder if she's dreaming about me?' - but he had to go. Reluctantly he took the steps and closed the door behind him.  
  
He couldn't save Sherry. He couldn't even save himself. Claire woke up from her nightmare only to realize that the bed next to her was empty. Where was Leon?  
  
Leon's friends at the anti-Umbrella underground force had found hints of Wesker's whereabouts. He knew Wesker had taken her, but was she still with him? Leon was praying for the best, but he knew only one thing for sure: He couldn't go back to Claire without Sherry.  
  
On the next day devastated and angry Claire ('I'll kick that boy's ass when I see him!') got an email from Chris saying he had got hints about where Sherry was being held. After a couple of days of preparation Claire and Chris left to Atlanta.  
  
Meanwhile Leon was doing his own investigation in Paris. He had managed to track down some secret information of Umbrella's labs at the city. Now the only thing left was to find out how to get there.  
  
*  
  
No humans left. Not any living soul. Creatures he had seen were worse than anywhere else. This must have been the place where primary experiments had been carried out.  
  
Leon could hear the sound of dripping water when he decended the stairs of the cold basement. His friends at the underground movement had got leads that Wesker wanted to come here to get the virus - Mother of them all - "Progenitor" to test it on Sherry. What a vicious monster! Leon was practically boiling with anger when he slowly approached the bottom floor.   
  
Then, suddenly... Something big and black emerged behind a corner. 'Oh no' was Leon's last thought before blackout.  
  
Claire and Chris were spending the night in a small room of a giant underground facility. Chris was injured - he made a squeaking sound everytime he inhaled. Claire couldn't even close her eyes. Chris, Sherry, Leon... She couldn't bear losing any of them. Let alone all of them. In the loneliness of the night Claire cried quietly.  
  
When Leon came to, his whole body was aching. He tried to get up but was forced to stop by purple lights in his head. For a few moments he concentrated on breathing - in and out, in and out. When he finally got up he realized he was still in the basement. Something didn't seem right. Leon touched his neck and found blood from his hand. The joy of being alive was exchanged with the deepest despair - he was infected.  
  
Only a traction of a second later something sent Leon flying through the room - and landing down on a corner. Leon could hear his leg fracturing. Someone laughed insanely. With a twist of pain on his face Leon turned on the ground to see - Wesker. "So, Leon S. Kennedy, finally we meet." Wesker was holding something in his hand like a sack of potatoes. "Where's... Sherry?" Leon mumbled."Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Sherry is already dead." "What??!" There was the insane laugh again. "But I did bring something else for you." Wesker threw the thing he was holding to the corner next to Leon - and only now he realized it wasn't something, it was someone. Still laughing insanely Wesker hopped up the stairs and disappeared. Gently Leon revealed the person's face. It was Ada.  
  
"Claire!" Sherry cried when she saw her. "I knew you'd come back to me, I knew!" The little girl's tears wouldn't stop. Claire was crying too as she held Sherry, but she didn't show her tears. She looked up at Chris who had a small smile on his pale face. "C'moon Sherry, let's go. My brother needs to be taken to a hospital." To be honest Claire wasn't feeling too good herself.  
  
DREAM A DREAM  
  
When Leon woke up after another blackout, he was alone. Maybe it had all been a dream? But the pain in his gut was very real - he was groaning on every step he took. He could step on his leg for now, but for how long, he didn't know. Slowly he wandered deeper to the basement for a reason he didn't even know.  
  
Later at night he stopped to rest to a storage room. His last thought was about Claire. And Ada. Ada. And Claire...  
  
When Leon opened his eyes he saw Ada bent over him. 'It's a dream', he realized and smiled happily. Ada responded to his smile. "A happy dream", he muttered. "No." Ada whispered and touched his forehead. Ada looked really sick. Leon tried to get up but Ada stopped him. "I found vaccine." Ada had sorrow on her face. "...But there's only enough for one person." She was stroking Leon's arm. "You take it." "NO. Ada!" "Go on, heal yourself", she said with a soft voice. "Ada!!" "It's too late for me. Wesker infected me with the virus two days ago. I'm surprised I still have humanity left." Ada looked beaten. A dark shadow was covering her face. Leon refused to believe her. "You're strong, you are gonna make it." Just as he said it, Ada collapsed.   
  
When she was resting in his arms, she whispered: "Please kill me." Leon's tears dropped to Ada's face. "I can't do that. I can't kill something so beautiful." "Beautiful?" Ada coughed some blood. "Please, Leon. I love you." Because of the look in her eyes - she depended on him - Leon could have almost done it. But when he heard a hissing sound beside him he knew that within a second they both could be dead.   
  
Before he could even move the creature had captured Ada.  
  
GIVE ME LIFE  
  
When Leon woke up after the explosion, he didn't know if it was just another dream. Exhausted, Leon blumped back to the ground. He closed his eyes and began to smile. Claire. He did have a reason to go on. Somewhere out there Claire was waiting for him. Angry, maybe, but waiting. Leon sat up and searched his pocket. For a brief cold second he thought it wasn't there. But it was. Leon sighed happily. Ada's gift to him - life.   
  
But oh God. Sherry. He couldn't go back home without her.   
  
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up he saw Claire's face. "I must be dreaming again", he smiled. "Oh, this is no dream." Claire hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to him. "You look horrible", she whispered and touched his hand. "You don't look so good yourself", Leon noticed. "I'll be ok now", he continued. He showed off the vaccine in his hand. "Would you give me it?" Claire didn't ask anything. They hugged for a long time, unwilling to let go of each others.   
  
"Leon", Claire whispered after an eternity had passed. "What?" Leon was almost asleep. "I've got something to tell you." Claire had a shy smile on her face. "Tell me." Leon caressed Claire's back. "Sherry's gonna become a big sister", Claire revealed. The morning's first ray of light brightened Claire's face. When Leon kissed Claire, everything was perfect for a while.   
  
THE END  
  
Idea based on:  
Wesker's report 1  
RE 3 Leon's epilogue  
RE 4 hoax  
  
  



End file.
